NEW DELHI: The farmers' protest on the New Delhi border last year shook the entire India. The protest which started in Punjab against the new farm laws introduced by the Central Government slowly gained strength. Modi govt finally gave in to the demands of the farmers after a struggle that saw bloodshed and even death. With this confidence, many of the peasant leaders contested in the recent Uttar Pradesh and Punjab Assembly elections.

But most of these leaders, even lost the security deposit they paid. Even BJP's victory in western Uttar Pradesh, an area which favours sugarcane farmers,is a testament to the fact that ordinary farmers have not taken their leaders seriously. The situation is not different in Punjab. Balbir Singh Rajwala, a prominent leader of farmers' protest, who contested from Samrala in Punjab, came in sixth when the election results came out. In Uttar Pradesh, it was the BJP, while in Punjab it was the Aam Aadmi Party tha secured the votes among the farmers.

Balbir Singh's result is not an isolated one. Most of the peasant leaders who contested in the state have lost the money they had deposited. The situation of Gurnam Singh Chaduni, another peasant leader who contested the Punjab elections, is no different. Gurnam Singh contested the elections after forming his own party.

But even before the election, the United Kisan Morcha, which led the farmers' protest in New Delhi, had made it clear that it would not support the any leaders contesting the elections. It is estimated that this position of the Samyukta Kisan Morcha has also been detrimental to them.